How ANPAMUCA Was Born (Somewhat Accidentally)

Latinos tend to have long names, and mine is no exception: Angela Patricia Muñoz Cardona. That’s four names I actively remember — and that’s how ANPAMUCA was born.

Being creative isn’t something I do, it’s just how I operate — kind of like how I breathe, overthink, and reorganize my closet by color and season. Every part of my life is touched by design: photography, graphic design, my Etsy store, how I plant herbs and flowers, how I clean the bathroom. Aesthetics are always invited.

I’m a proud paisa from Medellín, Colombia, where I studied Advertising and Marketing at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB). My love of photography started way before I learned about ad campaigns or layouts. My dad and uncles always had cameras on hand. They captured every paseo to the finca, surrounded by dozens of loud, sticky, happy cousins.

In 2001, I moved to South Florida, where I worked odd jobs while waiting for the American dream — until I finally found my way into advertising agencies. I learned from amazing mentors and made friends I still cherish. I got married, became a mom, and adopted a cat who ignores me — with precision.

Then came 2017, the hardest year of my life. My siblings and I lost both of our parents. Grief has a way of shaking everything. That same year, we realized South Florida no longer felt like home. We packed up, drove north, and moved to North Carolina — not knowing we were heading straight to home sweet home.

Surprise twist: it was the right move.

In NC, we found space to breathe. We also added a golden retriever to the mix — sweet, dramatic, and photogenic.

I even became a gardener. For two full seasons, I was thriving: salsa ingredients in the yard, smug selfies with tomatoes. But these days, I’m at war with bugs, worms, and mole tunnels. It’s fine. I’m fine.

ANPAMUCA is now a reflection of all my creative chaos — from photography, custom designs for stickers and invitations, to ceramics, painted rocks, cooking, and whatever else sneaks in. My Etsy store is where most of it lands, but this blog? This is where the behind-the-scenes lives: the experiments, the memories, the messes, and the joy.

If you're here, you're probably a curious shopper, a fellow creative, a photographer friend — or someone who just got lost looking for mole repellent. Either way — bienvenido. I'm glad you're here.

— Angela

Founder of ANPAMUCA / Photographer & Graphic Designer

Already mastering the “candid but I know I’m cute” pose at age 3.